Billet handling device for tube mills



April 25, 1939. w J ss 2,156,218

BILLET HANDLING DEVICE FOR TUBE MILLS Filed June-20, 1958 2 SheetsSheet 1 April 25, 1939. w. J. ASSEL BILLET HANDLING. DEVICE FOR TUBE MILLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 20, 1938 24/6 firro Eli/5K5.

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 Walter J. Assel, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Timken Roller Bearing Company, Canton,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 20, 1938, Serial No. 214,712

10 Claims.

My invention relates to tube mills of the crossroll type wherein a pierced billet is supported interiorly by a mandrel during the rolling operation. The principal objects of the invention are to facilitate and expedite the handling of the pierced billet between the piercing mill and the pass of the rolling mill, including the preparatory straightening of the billet, theentry of the mandrel into the billet, the guiding of the billet intothe pass and the preventing of whipping of the billet. The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer .to like parts wherever they occur, 7

Fig. 1 is a plan view and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 3 is a view thereof partly in end elevation and partly in vertical cross section on the line 3-3 ofv Fig. 2. In thisFig. 3, the lid of the guide trough is shown in three positions, namely, in guiding position indicated by iLull lines, in billet clamping position indicated by broken lines and in open position indicated by dot and dash lines. s

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the apparatus on the line 4- 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view on. the line 66 of Fig. 3.

My device comprises an elongated frame I with a horizontal trough member 2 which, in practice, is located on the entering side of the crossa roll mill and in alinement with the pass line swing upwardly far enough to permit a billet A to enter sidewise between the trough and the lid.

Both or one of the hinge arms 5 ofthe lid is extended beyond its pivot pin and is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 25 to the rod H of a 5 piston 3| in a cylinder l2 (hereinafter called the main cylinder) which is journaled'on horizontal trunnions [3 which have bearings on the frame. on opposite sides of its piston, the main cylinder I2 is provided with ports that are connected by 10 suitable pipes 14 with a source of fluid pressure, preferably air pressure, and suitable means (not shown) are provided for controlling the admission and release of air into. and out of said cylinder. With this arrangement, the hinge arm 15 5 of the trough lid constitutes a lever that may be raised and lowered by the air pressure in said main cylinder.

When the main piston goes down, its rod ll pulls down the outer end of the hinge lever 5 and thereby raises the lid to its fully open position ready to admit a billet sidewise into the trough. When the piston of the main cylinder I2 is raised, its rod II pushes up the hinge lever 5 and causes the trough lid to close and, in doing so, to press against and straighten the billet in said trough. In this closed position, the billet A is held firmly by the lid and, while so held, the mandrel B is inserted endwise into the billet by mechanism of a well-known type that is outside of the present invention.

When the mandrel is inserted in the billet, the pressure of the lid thereon is released and the lid lifted slightly to clear the mandrel and permit the billet to slide along the trough but in order to guide the billet and prevent it from whipping, the lid, in its partly open or guiding position, should still be close to the billet. For

thereof. As the height of the pass line changes with the diameter of the work piece, the trough member of my device is made separate from the frame so as to be vertically adjustable. For this purpose; I prefer to interpose shims 3 between the frame and the bottom of the. trough member.

Above the trough is an inverted channelshaped member which serves as a movable lid this purpose, a second cylinder I5 (hereinafter called the lid positioning cylinder) is provided. 40

This lid-positioning cylinder is preferably pivotally mounted on horizontal trunnions l6 and is provided with a piston, ports, passageways l1 communicating with a source of air pressure and means for controlling the same similar to those 45 above described in connection with the first cylinder.

The piston rod H) of the lid positioning cylinder is pivotally connected to a lever I 9, one end of which is bifurcated and provided with pivot holes through which extends the horizontal pivot pin 9 that serves to connect the hingelever 5 of the lid member to the bracket 1. The other end of said lever l9 has a vertical hole therethrough which is threaded to receive an adjusting screw 20 whose lower end projects beyond said lever and bears against a bracket 2| provided therefor on the frame. This lever l8 extends above the piston rod I I of the main cylinder I2 and is pivotally connected to the piston rod I8 of the lid positioning cylinder I5 at a point 22 near the free end of said lever. In the lower faces of the arms of said lever I9 are grooves 23 in position to receive the ends of the pivot pin 25 which connects the main piston rod I I with the ends of the hinge arm 5 of the trough lid when said main piston rod is in its uppermost position with the trough lid closed tight. On account of the point 12 of connection of said lever I9 with the'piston rod I8 of the. lid positioning cylinder being further from the fulcrum pin 9 than the point of connection of the main piston rod is from said fulcrum, coupled with the elasticity of the pressure fluid, the downward pull of the rod l8 on said lever I9 exceeds and overcomes the upward pressure of the main piston rod II thereon with the result that the lever I9 moves downwardly until the adjusting screw 20 thereon bears against the limiting bracket 2 I. .The effect of this movement isthat said lever I9 forces the main piston rod slightly downwardly carrying with it the outer end of thehinge lever 5 of the lid and thus swinging the lid up slightly.

Obviously, the construction he'reinbefore described admits of considerable modification and I do not wish to be limited to the details described, The importantconsideration is that, after the trough shall have closed to straighten the billet and shall have held the billet tight while the mandrel is being inserted thereinto, the lid shall be eased back far enough to permit easy sliding of the billet and shall still be held in its eased position to prevent whipping of the billet.

What I claim is:

1. In a billet handling device, the combination of a trough, a lid therefor, and means for operating said lid to wide open and clamping positions and means for releasing said lid from a clamping position to a released 0' guiding position.

2. In a billet handling device, the combination of a trough, an inverted trough shaped lid there- 'for hinged alongside of'said trough, means for of a trough, a lid therefor hinged alongside of felastic'ally on said lid to swing said lid to wide 0 alongside of said trough,.a lid for said trough Y open and closed positions and means for exerting greater pressure on said lid in opposition to-the closing efiort of said first means for easing said lid'from closed position, and means for stopping the easing movement of the lid.. 7

5. A billet handling-device comprising a frame, a trough on said frame, brackets on saidgframe hinged on said brackets and having an arm extending beyond its hinge point, actuating means connected to said arm for opening and closing said lid, a lever hinged on said brackets and extending beyond the connection of said am with meagre said actuating means, and means operatively connected to the free end portion of said lever and adapted to overcome the closing effort of said first mentioned means.

6. A billet handling device comprising a frame, a vertically adjustable trough on said frame, brackets on said frame alongside of said trough, a lid for said trough hinged on said brackets and having an arm extending beyondits hinge point, actuating means connected to said arm for opening and closing said lid, a lever hinged on said bracketsand extending beyond the connection of said arm with said actuating means, and means operatively connected to the free end portion of said lever and adapted to overcome the closing effort of said first mentioned means.

'7. A billet handling device comprising a frame, a trough on said frame, brackets on said frame alongside of said trough, a lid for said trough hinged on said brackets and having an arm extending beyond its hinge point, actuating means connected to said arm for opening and closing said lid, a lever hinged on said brackets and extending beyond the connection of said arm with said actuating means, means operatively connected to the free end portion of said lever and adapted to overcome the closing effort of said first mentioned means, and means for stopping said lever when the lid rises clear of the billet by a predetermined distance.

8. A billet handling device comprising a frame, a trough on 'said frame, adjusting shims interposed betwen said frame and-the bottom of said trough, brackets on said frame alongside of said trough, a lid for said trough hinged on said brackets and having an arm extending beyond its hinge point, actuating means connected to said arm for opening and closing said lid, a lever hinged on said brackets and extending beyond the connection of said arm with said actuating means,

7 and means operatively connected to the free end portion of said lever and adapted to overcome the closing eflfort of said first mentioned means.

9. A billet handling device comprising a frame, a trough on said frame, brackets on said frame alongside of said trough, a lid for said trough hinged on said brackets and having an arm extending beyond its hinge point, a main pressure cylinder having a piston whose rod is,connected to the free end portion of said arm for opening and closing said lid, a lever hinged on said brackets and extending beyond the connection of said arm with said piston rod, and a second pressure cylinder ,whose piston }is connected to the free end portion of said lever. and which is adapted to overcome the closing eflort of said first mentioned cylinder.

10. A billet handling device comprising a frame, a trough on'said frame, brackets on said frame alongside of said trough, a lid for said trough hinged on said brackets and having an arm extending beyond its hinge point, a main pressure cylinder having a piston whose rod is connected to the free end portion of said arm for opening and closing said lid, a lever hinged on said brackets and extending beyond the connection of said arm with said piston rod, a second pressure cylinder whose piston is connected tel the free end portion of said lever and which is adapted to overcome the closing effort of said first mentioned cylinder, .and means for stopping the easing movement of said lever at. a predetermined position.

WALTER. J. ASSEL. 

